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News from Angola – The Association of Former PLAN Ex-Combatants (ASCOFA) on Thursday paid tribute to several former PLAN combatants.
The event included celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PLA and the 23rd anniversary of ASCOFA, which was intended to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the struggle against Portuguese colonialism and in defense of territorial integrity.
ASCOFA president Caetano Marcolino told the press that his association is working with government authorities to uphold the dignity of all its members, regardless of their role in the armed forces.
He said his biggest concern is the entry of former soldiers and sergeants.
Caetano Marcolino stressed that the situation of officers had actually been resolved with their early inclusion in the Armed Forces Social Security Fund, and attention had turned to the problems of soldiers and sergeants.
On the occasion, he said ASCOFA created several agricultural cooperatives with the aim of incorporating them into rural-related activities and provided courses in carpentry, locksmithing and information technology to adapt to the city.
Likewise, retired General Julio Mateus Paulo (Dino Materos) believes that the greatest achievement of the former PLAN was the victory of Cuito Cuanavale on March 23, 1988, whose actions led to the fall of the apartheid regime in southern Africa and the independence of Namibia.
The retired general said that “the former PLAN played a vital role in defending the territorial integrity, preventing external incursions by South African troops in the south and Zairean troops and mercenaries in the north”.
However, he believed that during this period, the state was unable to respect the dignity of all members of the former liberation army and advocated for other policies to pay special attention to these fighters who fought for the motherland.
For his part, General Eusebio de Brito stressed the need for the executive branch to look into the current situation of former PLA sergeants and soldiers to prevent them from living a life of beggars.
The hero of the Cuito Cuanavale battle believes that the complaints of former soldiers and sergeants who joined the former Liberation Army are fair because they did not have the opportunity to train, considering that the defense of the motherland comes first.
Among other celebrities, retired General Dino Matros, Eusebio de Brito, Angga, Rodes Gil, Engracía Cabunha, Lieutenant Colonel Domingos Martins Ngora, Lieutenant Ngusi dos Santos also paid tribute to the act.
ASCOFA brings together nearly 80,000 members, including former combatants, widows and orphans of combatants and Friends of the Association.
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